Jury convicts man of first-degree murder

Published: Friday, September 6, 2013 at 11:50 a.m.

Last Modified: Friday, September 6, 2013 at 2:52 p.m.

A jury has found 34-year-old Phillip Scott Baker guilty of first-degree murder and robbery with a dangerous weapon in the 2010 death of a man.

Baker was sentenced Friday morning to life in prison without the possibility of parole. He was convicted in the death of 26-year-old Chadric “Chad” Lee Newsome, the son of Davidson County 911 supervisor Joni Grubb.

The jury’s decision came after a little over four hours of deliberating between Thursday and Friday. Grubb took the witness stand after the jury announced the decision and gave emotional testimony regarding the impact of her son’s death.

Baker’s attorney, Mike Klinkosum, said he would appeal the jury’s decision with the N.C. Court of Appeals. He declined to comment outside of the courtroom.

Newsome died after an incident July 31, 2010, on Dacotah Street. Testimony in the courtroom has indicated Newsome was set up in a drug deal at an abandoned house on Dacotah Street. Baker, according to testimony, was the gunman and fired two shots that led to Newsome’s death. Newsome drove himself to Wake Forest Baptist Health — Lexington Medical Center and later died at Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center in Winston-Salem.

Grubb told the court she was working at the 911 Center when the shooting occurred. She said her team started taking calls of a shooting on Dacotah Street. Grubb said in her 23 years as a telecommunicator she’s often thought of the possibility of a call involving her family. She recalled her phone ringing, and it was Newsome’s fiancee, Sharicka Holloway, saying he had been shot. Grubb immediately linked the 911 calls to her son being the victim.

“In my life from the day I found out I was pregnant, I knew I wanted him,” Grubb said while on the stand as she referred to her son.

Grubb said Newsome was red-shirted on the football team as a freshman at Averett University in Danville Va., where he briefly attended before returning to Lexington to work. Newsome had a son, Jaelan, who is now 4 years old. The mother explained she knew her son had problems with marijuana.

“He was not violent,” she said. The mother added she knew her son fought for his life once she saw photos of Newsome’s body and abrasions on his hand.

Newsome’s sister, Tamara Newsome, and her 6-year-old son, Alonzo, also went on the witness stand. Tamara Newsome read a letter her son had written to the judge. The letter explained the nephew’s love for his uncle.

“I thought I knew pain well but I was wrong,” Tamara Newsome said, referring to the impact of her brother’s death.

Baker declined to address the court after the verdict. But he was emotional and used tissue to wipe away tears near the end of Grubb’s remarks in the courtroom. Family members of Baker also declined to comment outside the courtroom.

A list of Baker’s convictions, ranging from robbery to drug charges, was read in the courtroom. Klinkosum told the court Baker’s record wasn’t always this way, saying his client was a “scholar” and student at North Carolina A&T State University.

Baker’s co-defendant, 22-year-old Lecourtney Quandarrius Murphy, was brought in for his sentencing after Baker left the courtroom. He accepted a plea agreement with the state to testify against Baker. Murphy pleaded guilty to accessory after the fact of murder and accessory after the fact of robbery. Judge David Lee sentenced Murphy to between six years, five months and eight years, six months in prison, and recommended he not be placed in the same prison as Baker. Murphy also received credit for time served since being placed in jail in August 2012.

Murphy was given the opportunity to address the courtroom and directly spoke to Newsome’s family. “I want to apologize to the family,” he said, adding that he’s thought about Newsome’s death and hopes his corroboration in the case will bring the family closure.

Once both were sentenced, Tamara Newsome said outside of the courtroom she “feels relieved.”

“I forgive Lecourtney, so I’m having bittersweet feelings over that,” she said. “I hope he remembers to live his life good when he gets out because he still has a chance.”

Grubb, after the outcome, said she was sad for the families. She hugged Murphy’s mother, Tonya Broadway, outside of the courthouse. They also hugged Thursday before leaving the courtroom.

“I just want to move forward,” Grubb said. “I want to try to get some things started in this community that will maybe help with drug understanding and violence.”

With the verdict, Holloway said she believes her family can now have peace.

“It’s been really tough for my son,” she said. “There have come times like the other day he was sitting in the car and I was like, ‘Jaelan, what’s wrong? He’s like, ‘I miss my daddy.’”

Davidson County District Attorney Garry Frank said prosecutors were seeking justice. He expressed appreciation to Davidson County assistant district attorneys Greg Brown and Alan Martin, as well as Lexington Police Sgt. Luke Davis and his agency, for their work in the case.

“They’ve done a very professional job of investigation,” he said. “I think that’s the reason we were able to obtain justice.”

Darrick Ignasiak can be reached at 249-3981, ext. 217, or darrick.ignasiak@the-dispatch.com.

<p>A jury has found 34-year-old Phillip Scott Baker guilty of first-degree murder and robbery with a dangerous weapon in the 2010 death of a man. </p><p>Baker was sentenced Friday morning to life in prison without the possibility of parole. He was convicted in the death of 26-year-old Chadric “Chad” Lee Newsome, the son of Davidson County 911 supervisor Joni Grubb.</p><p>The jury's decision came after a little over four hours of deliberating between Thursday and Friday. Grubb took the witness stand after the jury announced the decision and gave emotional testimony regarding the impact of her son's death.</p><p>Baker's attorney, Mike Klinkosum, said he would appeal the jury's decision with the N.C. Court of Appeals. He declined to comment outside of the courtroom.</p><p>Newsome died after an incident July 31, 2010, on Dacotah Street. Testimony in the courtroom has indicated Newsome was set up in a drug deal at an abandoned house on Dacotah Street. Baker, according to testimony, was the gunman and fired two shots that led to Newsome's death. Newsome drove himself to Wake Forest Baptist Health — Lexington Medical Center and later died at Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center in Winston-Salem.</p><p>Grubb told the court she was working at the 911 Center when the shooting occurred. She said her team started taking calls of a shooting on Dacotah Street. Grubb said in her 23 years as a telecommunicator she's often thought of the possibility of a call involving her family. She recalled her phone ringing, and it was Newsome's fiancee, Sharicka Holloway, saying he had been shot. Grubb immediately linked the 911 calls to her son being the victim.</p><p>“In my life from the day I found out I was pregnant, I knew I wanted him,” Grubb said while on the stand as she referred to her son.</p><p>Grubb said Newsome was red-shirted on the football team as a freshman at Averett University in Danville Va., where he briefly attended before returning to Lexington to work. Newsome had a son, Jaelan, who is now 4 years old. The mother explained she knew her son had problems with marijuana.</p><p>“He was not violent,” she said. The mother added she knew her son fought for his life once she saw photos of Newsome's body and abrasions on his hand.</p><p>Newsome's sister, Tamara Newsome, and her 6-year-old son, Alonzo, also went on the witness stand. Tamara Newsome read a letter her son had written to the judge. The letter explained the nephew's love for his uncle.</p><p>“I thought I knew pain well but I was wrong,” Tamara Newsome said, referring to the impact of her brother's death.</p><p>Baker declined to address the court after the verdict. But he was emotional and used tissue to wipe away tears near the end of Grubb's remarks in the courtroom. Family members of Baker also declined to comment outside the courtroom.</p><p>A list of Baker's convictions, ranging from robbery to drug charges, was read in the courtroom. Klinkosum told the court Baker's record wasn't always this way, saying his client was a “scholar” and student at North Carolina A&T State University.</p><p>Baker's co-defendant, 22-year-old Lecourtney Quandarrius Murphy, was brought in for his sentencing after Baker left the courtroom. He accepted a plea agreement with the state to testify against Baker. Murphy pleaded guilty to accessory after the fact of murder and accessory after the fact of robbery. Judge David Lee sentenced Murphy to between six years, five months and eight years, six months in prison, and recommended he not be placed in the same prison as Baker. Murphy also received credit for time served since being placed in jail in August 2012.</p><p>Murphy was given the opportunity to address the courtroom and directly spoke to Newsome's family. “I want to apologize to the family,” he said, adding that he's thought about Newsome's death and hopes his corroboration in the case will bring the family closure.</p><p>Once both were sentenced, Tamara Newsome said outside of the courtroom she “feels relieved.”</p><p>“I forgive Lecourtney, so I'm having bittersweet feelings over that,” she said. “I hope he remembers to live his life good when he gets out because he still has a chance.”</p><p>Grubb, after the outcome, said she was sad for the families. She hugged Murphy's mother, Tonya Broadway, outside of the courthouse. They also hugged Thursday before leaving the courtroom.</p><p>“I just want to move forward,” Grubb said. “I want to try to get some things started in this community that will maybe help with drug understanding and violence.”</p><p>With the verdict, Holloway said she believes her family can now have peace.</p><p>“It's been really tough for my son,” she said. “There have come times like the other day he was sitting in the car and I was like, 'Jaelan, what's wrong? He's like, 'I miss my daddy.'”</p><p>Davidson County District Attorney Garry Frank said prosecutors were seeking justice. He expressed appreciation to Davidson County assistant district attorneys Greg Brown and Alan Martin, as well as Lexington Police Sgt. Luke Davis and his agency, for their work in the case.</p><p>“They've done a very professional job of investigation,” he said. “I think that's the reason we were able to obtain justice.”</p><p>Darrick Ignasiak can be reached at 249-3981, ext. 217, or darrick.ignasiak@the-dispatch.com.</p>